Category: Mobile software

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The most popular custom ROM for Android has entered the age of Lollipop, with the release of the first nightly builds based on the latest OS version from Google. CyanogenMod 12 builds come with Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, and they’re already available for 31 devices.

Obviously, more handsets and tablets should get CM12 support in the future. And like with all CM nightlies, keep in mind that these too can have (many) bugs. If you aren’t comfortable with that, you should wait for an “M” release based on Lollipop. Read more »

We already know that the team behind the popular instant messaging service WhatsApp is working on a voice calling feature – we’ve also seen leaked screenshots of the feature in action. And now, it is being reported that the app could also offer a “Call via Skype” feature.

The above code snippet, which was first spotted by Maktechblog while exploring the iPhone version of the app, contains a clear reference to the feature. In addition, the snippet also confirms other voice calling features, including Call Mute, Call Hold, Call back, Call me in X minutes, Call back message, Call Via Skype, Call Notifications, and Separate screen for call logs. Read more »

Nokia’s mapping solution may only have officially arrived to non-Samsung Android devices last month, but it’s already making significant gains. The software has crossed the 1 million downloads mark as testified by the app profile on the Google Play store.

The number doesn’t include downloads from the Samsung Apps store, where the app has been available for a while longer, nor side-loads. Read more »

Last year we saw Microsoft release updated and free versions of Office on both iOS as well as Android. But while most people saw this as a great decision, it left a small group of people miffed. Particularly those using Windows Phone.

As it happens, Office on Windows Phone, which has always been advertised as one of its main features, hasn’t been updated in ages and lags considerably behind Office on iOS and Android. People have been starting to wonder why Microsoft is ignoring its own platform, until Joe Belfiore had to come out and assure everyone that they are not. Read more »

The HTC Gallery app received an update in time for Christmas in the Google Play Store. The major change in the latest version is the addition of Cloud Gallery – HTC’s take on accessing your photos from different cloud services like Facebook, Dropbox, Flickr and Google Drive.

The gallery app now sports HTC’s Face Fusion photo editor, which came as part of the Eye Experience update. It allows you to have fun with portraits by blending two at a time and create an entirely new face. Tagging friends on different images is now also available. Read more »

Facebook recently launched a new app called Stickered for Messenger, which allowed you to take pictures or use existing ones and then place Facebook Messenger stickers on top of them, before sharing them with others.

For once, the app was launched on Android first but now it is also available on iOS. The app is free on the App Store and only available on the iPhone (not the iPad). Read more »

The possibility of VoIP functionality in WhatsApp has been floating around in the rumor mill for quite some time now. While it has never been officially confirmed, little bits and pieces have been popping out here and there.

Recently a few interesting screenshots have surfaced, showcasing the popular chat application adorned with shiny new voice features.

While the functionality is still not available and probably not even fully complete, Android enthusiasts have managed to dig up a glimpse of what it may look like.

As it turns out, the Android version of WhatsApp exists in two main build branches, One stable branch, which can be found on the Play Store and which almost everybody has on their devices and another one, distributed directly off of the company’s website. Read more »

Microsoft has released a new application that lets you extract great stills from your videos or Moment shots (4K or FullHD). Dubbed Lumia Moments, the app is available on select Lumia devices, including Lumia 830, Lumia 930, Lumia Icon, and 1520, as part of the recent Lumia Denim update.

The app provides a Best Frame option that lets you find pictures and save them as Living Images — photos that contain a brief moment of video, so they seem alive when you browse them in Camera Roll or Lumia Storyteller. There is also an Action Shot feature that lets you add a strobe effect to show action or add blur to emphasize motion. Read more »

The team that’s in charge of developing Facebook’s Messenger apps has come up with something new. The app is called Stickered, and it’s apparently due to be out in the Google Play Store for Android later today. It will also make it to iOS at some point in the future.

As you can see from the image above, Stickered basically lets you plaster the stickers you can find in Facebook Messenger over parts of your photos. Why you would choose to do such a thing is still quite the mystery, but – if you want to, now you can. Read more »

The Android TV Launcher is now available for download on Google Play. Google has decided to make it a standalone app from Android TV, similarly to the Google Experience Launcher.

The launcher gives you access to your media like movies, songs and Android TV apps like Netflix, TED and YouTube. To install it, you’ll need an Android TV device, like the Nexus Player and ADT-1. Read more »

If you picked up any of the recent Samsung phones, you’d notice there is no ChatOn application that used to always be around on older phones whether you liked it or not. That’s because the company has been planning on shutting down the service for a while.

Now Samsung has revealed to Engadget that it plans on shutting down the service in all markets except the US on February 1. The company said it will be “focusing on [its] core services.”, which basically means ‘we will stick to what we are good at’. Read more »

Nvidia’s latest update to the Shield Hub brings a new Material Design overhaul with better focus on games and the option to stream games from your Shield device to a TV in 1080p at 60fps quality. There is also the usual bug fixes and performance improvements.

The update affects both the Nvidia Shield gaming device and the Shield Tablet. Shield Hub will now show you more games on the same screen and reduce the need for scrolling. Read more »

Nokia will no longer be updating the HERE mapping and navigation apps on the Windows Phone platform. Although originally created by Nokia, the map data has now been licensed by Microsoft, who will now be updating the app instead.

On the other hand, Nokia has no plans of abandoning HERE maps but will instead be moving to greener pastures. Read more »

Today Yahoo has announced it’s published a new version of its app for both iOS and Android to the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store, respectively. The update is decidedly bigger for Android, where it introduces animated weather conditions (such as fog, rain, heat, snow, lightning, and frost).

Most of those have been available on iOS 8 since September, but today lightning and frost have made their way to devices running Apple’s mobile operating system as well. Read more »